Page 64 of Shine On Oklahoma
Kiley started moaning and breathing toofast.
“Hey, hey, Kiley,” Dax said. “Look at me,look me right in the eye.” She turned to face him. “We’ve got this.You know how many foals I’ve helped into the world? We’ve got this,hon. You’re gonna be okay. So’s Diana.”
“What if she was hurt in the fall?”
“She was riding along in a liquid-filledbeach ball. She’s fine. Say it now. Diana is fine.”
“Diana’s fine.” She took a few fast breaths,nodding. “She’s fine.”
“We need to get you undressed okay? Kendra,can you help with that?”
Kendra looked at him, saw him in a way she’dnever seen him before. But she snapped out of it and slid Kiley’spants off. Kiley bent her knees and pressed them to the ground, andblew rapid, short breaths.
“God, Dax, you really think we can dothis?”
“Kiley’s doin’ this. We’re just helping. Iknow a fair bit about birthing. Now tell me what you see, I can’tget over there very well just now.”
“I see… something,” Kendra said. “Is that herhead?”
“I need to push!”
Dax said, “Kendra, you need to check thecord…”
“I need topush!” This was happeningway faster than Kendra had expected. The baby’s head was alreadycoming out.
“She’s…purple,” Kendra said.
Dax sat up straight. “Stop pushing. Blow,Kiley, blow little puffs. Don’t push. Kendra, you have to use yourfingers to make sure the cord isn’t around the baby’s neck. Do itnow.”
Kendra ran her fingers around the neck, foundthe cord wrapped tight there. “Hold back, don’t push, I mean itKiley!” she told her sister.
Kiley panted, blew, whimpered. Kendra kneltthere, freaking out, working to loosen the cord from around thebaby’s neck without tearing it, which she sensed would be bad. Ittook some doing, but she got it loose. “Okay. Kiley, it’s okaynow.”
Kiley growled and pushed, and the baby’s heademerged, followed quickly by her shoulders, and then the rest ofher. Kendra caught her, and Dax tossed his shirt at her. Dianawasn’t moving. She wasn’t moving! Kendra looked at Dax, then at thebaby again as she wrapped her in the shirt.
“What is it?” Kiley tried to sit up to see.“What’s wrong?”
“Turn her sideways,” Dax said. “Clear herairways. Give her good rubdown.
Kendra did everything he said. “Come on,Diana. Come on, now.”
“She’s not breathing? Why isn’t shebreathing?” Kiley pushed herself upright and stared at her child.“Oh no!” She clapped a hand over her mouth.
Kendra didn’t think she’d ever willedanything the way she willed that baby to live. Impulsively, sheleaned over, covered the baby’s nose and mouth with her own andgave three tiny puffs.
As she lifted her head away, the babywiggled. And then she wailed. It was a congested, snuffly sound aswas every newborn’s first cry.
Smiling so hard her face hurt, her tearsflowing, Kendra gazed at the scrunched, rapidly pinkening face.“Hello, Diana. I’m your aunt Kendra. And this is your mamma.” Sheeased the baby into Kiley’s arms, “She’s okay. She’s okay,Kiley.”
She watched Kiley gather the baby to her, sawthe bliss in her sister’s eyes, and the way Diana’s seemed to stareright into them, like she knew her. Shaking her head, she turned toDax, and saw a big old tear roll slowly down over his cheek.
She crawled to him, wrapped her arms aroundhis neck and held on.
Voices came from the rim of the drop-off.Kendra looked up sharply. “Is that the rest of the gang?”
But then the sound crackled oddly, and Daxsaid, “That’s the walkie-talkie. I must’ve dropped it on the waydown.” The sound was coming from the top of the ridge.
“Perfect timing. Stay here. Take care ofthem. I’ll climb up and get that radio, guide the others in.”
